Update on my homeopathic gout treatment

Well it’s been a while since I have updated my gout status.  I am still doing fine with my tart cherry extract, celery seed extract, and periodic dosages of Colchicine.  Like my last post stated, I have no pain or swelling still to this day.  I will say however that my middle finger, although not visibly swollen, still has some discomfort. It only hurts if I was to put pressure on it like I was trying to crack it.  For the most part though my new technique has been working for me.  On top of the extracts and medication I am taking it is also important to remember that I try my best every day to consume about a gallon of water.

Update about the past 4 days.

About two months ago my wife and I began trying for baby number two.  Unfortunately, two months in we are still trying to get pregnant.  My wife had some issues with her period not being regular so at first we assumed it was just a matter of us not having sex during her optimal ovulation time.  After multiple negative tests and a couple of months of trying, I figured I would look into other stuff.  I looked up the side effects of the Colchicine I was taking to see if it has any effect on reproduction.  Much to my surprise Colchicine does seem to have side effects on reproduction, however it seems a little sketchy.  According to multiple sites on the web the biggest issue with Colchicine is the fact that it may lower your sperm count.  I will note however, that if you were to spend the day looking through all of the documentation and research, that there doesn’t seem to be a consensus about this.  Some sites say there are no side effects, some say just low sperm count, and others say there isn’t enough data.  Whatever the case, I figured I would stop taking the medication for the time being to see if that helps.

For the past 4 days now I have only been taking 2 500mg capsules of celery seed extract a day and 3 tablespoons of tart cherry extract twice a day.  Again, all while drinking plenty of water.  I must say so far I have been feeling great.  Additionally, although I am not health food fanatic, I have been keeping an eye on what  I have been eating.  To be honest I started doing this out of fear of a flare up from having no medication in my system.  As the days go on I am finding it easier to eat at least one healthy alternative to my normal diet per day.

I attempted to put a clickable HTML link on here so you can see the exact products I am using but apparently Word Press does not allow that for certain memberships.  I grouped the two items and added them to a store I made on Amazon.  As time goes on I will be adding products that I try. (If needed)  Just click the link below.

http://astore.amazon.com/goudadlifinsa-20

I will continue to post updates about how my new homeopathic approach is going as well as the status of operation “Baby #2″.

GD

Hey You!!!!! What’s In That Beard?

Some random thoughts.

So my wife, daughter and I went to the buffet the other night and I couldn’t help but to find myself staring at a man eating noodles.  Now I wasn’t starring because he was eating noodles.  Instead I found myself starring because as I was chewing my food I happened to look over at him and saw he was slurping his noodle up his face, over his beard, and into his mouth.  For some reason this was so disgusting to me, but at the same time I couldn’t help but gawk.  I think part of me kept looking hoping that he would wipe not only his face but also his beard.  Not the case.  I mean think about it. During the course of the day this man probably had 3-4 meals.  If at any point he dropped food in his beard I’m sure he didn’t wipe it clean.  Why?  Who knows.  Maybe it gives a barbaric feeling of accomplishment?  Ugg, I killed my food and now I eat.  Whatever the case I am sure he still has soy sauce hanging out in there.

The next example of beard grunge came at the gym.  So I’m working out on the elliptical and look over.  Here I see one of the Duck Dynasty guys (not really, just resembled) working out in full blown camouflage hunting gear.  Jacket, pants and shoes.  Now this was already reason for concern since I felt like at any moment he may start shooting thinking we were all game.  But then during one of his breaks he reaches over, grabs his Gatorade, and begins drinking like he just got done the NYC marathon.  The Gatorade began pouring out of the side of his mouth and running down his beard.  It was to the point where I started having flashes of Dracula lifting his head up after sucking on some poor souls neck.  But, yet again, I find myself now starring, waiting to see if he will wipe his mouth and beard.  This time Mr. Hillbilly does wipe.  But don’t get overly excited.  He only wiped his mouth.  With juice still running down his face, he proceeds over to the next machine.  I will be using lots of spray cleaner if I go over there.

Now listen.  I’m all for a good mustache, beard, goatee, whatever.  But keep it clean.  I myself have a goatee, and the number one thing I think about is if I have something in it.  Walking around using your face as a human trash compactor is not attractive or cool.  If you want to rock a beard then do it with class.  I’m sure ZZ top (younger folks might have to Google them) isn’t going around with FunYun’s and chicken wings all up in there.

Keep it clean

GD

Black/African-American History Month – A week in and already the news is filled with racism.

So I meant to post this last week.  It’s a little late but I still figured I would post it.

A week into Black History/African-American History month I am not shocked to hear that people are still upset about the recognition of this time.  Last week I read about a former television personality who lobbied for “White History Month”.  Today I just got done reading that the KKK is attempting to stage a protest in the Memphis area to show their displeasure with the renaming of three state parks.  If you want some more details about these stories then click on the links below.

White History Month          Memphis Parks Renamed     (Thanks to Huffingtonpost.com for the articles.  Follow them on Twitter @HuffingtonPost @HuffPostBlog)

When it comes to white history month, the first question I would ask is, who exactly is “white”?  To my knowledge there is no country of White, land of white, white island, etc…  If you were to ask anyone considered “white”, what their ethnicity is, they would get into detail about how they are Irish, Italian, Polish, Greek, French, and so on.  The US Census Bureau defines “White” as “people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who reported “White” or wrote in entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish.”  If you wanted the  extreme side of the definition, the KKK considers whites to only be Anglo Saxon Protestants.  But even those roots trace back to England and Scotland.  So for me, the answer to “who is white?” is simple.  Nobody!  At least, not by any definition that is widely accepted.  If you are considering yourself just “white” you are allowing yourself to be a diluted version of who and what you really are.  Everyone, everywhere, has a background that WILL be traced overseas.  That is unless you are one of the true natives.  And they sure as shit won’t be calling themselves white.

The bottom line is that most cultures do have a dedicated month for them to celebrate their accomplishments and history.  True, some months double up on cultures but in general we do a good job as a nation in recognizing everyone.  In fact, one of the best times I had was down in Washington D.C.  Every year they have different multicultural events through-out the district.  Other big cities like Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, etc.. typically have parades, festivals, and different gatherings celebrating cultural diversity, as well.  If you want another example look at modern day professional baseball.  Every season they have African-American, Irish, Italian, Latino, and other heritage days. For someone to feel underrepresented in today’s world is simply a joke.

What is the real argument you are trying to make with “white history month”?  Are you upset because Black/African-American History month seems to be the most popular or recognized?  Are you upset because you got beat-up once by the black kid?  Or is it that you are simply carrying on an old school tradition of thought that was passed down from your parents?  Whatever the case, “whites” have their time to shine.  Research yourself, find your roots, and celebrate that rather than  focusing on the color of skin.

The second part of my rant involves the uproar that was caused over the renaming of three state parks in Memphis.  This topic is something that I feel needs little discussion based on the utter stupidity of people.  Here is a little background about the story.  In an attempt to cut off a state law to block name changes of state parks named after war figures, the city of Memphis decided to hold a vote on the renaming of three of its local state parks.  The vote was passed 9-0 and the name changes took place immediately.  Soon after the vote is when the people began showing the lovely hate and racism that allows us to stereotype southern folks.  Citizens of the area complained that the city council was attempting to erase the history of the south.  They claimed that their children will not know what historical events took place right where they live and will not have an appreciation for the struggles that confederates went through during Civil War times.

Oh and by the way, one of the parks is named after Nathan Bedford Forrest.  Those of you who don’t know, Mr. Forrest was a cavalryman, slave trader, and finally one of the founding fathers of the Ku Klux Klan. The opponents of the name change argue that Forrest was misunderstood.  I’m not really sure how you can misunderstand the things he did but  I am pretty sure all this is just code for I’m still racist and the park names gave me a place to be proud.  For those of you who are worried, fear not.  Forrest Park still has a giant statue of your historical icon. (See Below)  Tax payers need not worry also.  Your money never paid for the statue.  That was funded by the lawyer of the assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King.

The name change also sparked the hidden KKK members to come out of their shacks, unnamed of course, and say that they plan on having a rally against the name changes.  The KKK plan on having thousands march the streets and protest.  This would be particularly impressive, especially since its reported there are only a few hundred members in the entire area.

To me it is just insane to think people really need park names to remember what went on.  Last I checked History class teaches students about the past.  Having a constant reminder in your face about what went on, most likely to your relatives, isn’t exactly helping the healing process and promoting equality and unity.  It’s a park. Your big inappropriate statue is still there, and your hatred and ignorance are clearly still there as well.  Don’t worry, unfortunately the name change won’t change you.

I am going to end this post with some basic thoughts.  If true equality, not just for racial differences but also gender differences, existed from the beginning we most likely wouldn’t have monthly recognitions.  The problem is it didn’t.  For hundreds of years people fought and died to give themselves a better life.  Not just African-Americans, but all immigrants from north, south, east, and west that came for a better life.  These monthly cultural celebrations are a reminder of the struggles and accomplishments achieved through-out history.  At the same time, it gives the millions of us who are not part of their culture the chance to experience what they are about.  All of us have our time to celebrate, but it’s more important that we educate.  We need to be teaching our youth it’s okay to be from different ethnic, financial, and religious backgrounds.  If you continue to promote hate, you are doing your children an injustice.  Sooner rather than later they will find themselves to be one of only a select few.  After all, they are predicting that by 2050 most citizens will be multiracial with a tan type complexion and wavy hair like my sexy self…

Smile

GD

Natural Gout Remedies – Tart Cherry Extract & Celery Seed Extract

Let me start by updating everyone on my recovery from my latest gout attack.  I am now 13 days out from my post titled “Stage 1 Recovery”.  Since then the swelling in my pointer finger has gone down but my middle finger knuckle is still fat.  My knees are both back to normal and I am able to go to the gym and workout on the elliptical without any issues.  I currently have no pain so all my attention is focused on just getting the remaining fluid out of my middle finger.  Now while I appreciate modern medicine and the help I get from it, I really am looking for alternatives to treat my gout.  No matter what I take there are short and long-term sides effects that I truly do not wish to experience.  This post is about my new approach that I started 3 days ago.

I want to give you a little background about my current gout attack and medications I am taking.  My current attack started in early December.  My doctor wanted to have me switch to Allopurinol to help decrease my uric acid levels in the long-term.  About 4 days in I knew I was about to have an extreme attack when both my knees, both elbows, my hand, and my ankles were sore.  I tried to stick it out through the pain but it eventually got to the point where I was crippled in bed and no pain medication, ice, heat or anything else brought me relief.  I was up for days and only fell asleep when absolute exhaustion set in.  I literally was lying in bed like a starfish and crying in agony. If you couldn’t have guessed, I got to the point where I knew I had to stop the Allopurinol.  Typically, the plan whenever someone goes on Allopurinol is to ride out the pain and take Cholchicine and other meds until the pain subsides.  This just wasn’t happening for me and I couldn’t spend two weeks in pain and confined to the bed.  After about a week my extreme pain finally started to subside.  All I took during this time was Cholchicine and Ibuprofen.  I also drank about a gallon of water a day.  Slowly my elbows, ankles, and one of my knee’s got better.  The only issues left after a few weeks were my right knee and my fingers on my left hand.  Another week and a half later and my other knee started to get better.  Now I just needed to work on my middle finger and I will be back to normal.

Once I started to get better I knew I had to find an alternative to the Allopurinol.  That’s when i started looking up some more natural methods.  I was already making sure I kept myself plenty hydrated by drinking around a gallon of water a day.  In addition to that I started taking Tart Cherry Extract.  Tart Cherries are high in anthocyanins, antioxidants and potassium, all nutrients that act to reduce inflammation and contribute to alkalizing the body. When the urine and blood are slightly alkaline, acidosis is less prevalent and uric acid passes from the body in urine rather than depositing as crystals in the joints. It is recommended though that you use fructose-free tart cherries.  Some studies have shown that the amount of fructose one consumes can cause a gout flare-up.  Flare-ups can also come from fruit juices and soda beverages that have high fructose contents.  Personally, I use a USDA organic certified tart cherry extract.  It has the natural sugars of the cherries but nothing extra has been added. I currently am taking 3 tablespoons of tart cherry in the morning and at night.  That is roughly the equivalent to eating about 250 cherries a day.

The new natural remedie I have researched and started about three days ago is Celery Seed extract.  This was something I had no real knowledge about.  Over the weekend I was driving home from work when I was stopped at a traffic light and saw a nutrition store.  I have been wanting to visit a nutrition store because of the research I have been doing lately on celery seed extract.  It was important that when I found one that the staff was knowledgable and they had a variety of products to select from.  I talked to the owner of the store and she stated lots of people come in for celery seed.  I figured since it was only celery seed tablets I might as well try it.  Nothing to lose.  I bought one bottle containing 60 pills.  Each pill contains 250 mg’s of celery seed extract and is taken twice a day. I then came home to jump on the internet and research the celery seed extract even further.

I found that the celery seed is an old-time remedy that has been used in all forms of arthritis and gout treatments.  Although there is not a vast amount of research on the subject there were some studies that seemed promising.  According to web-site for Dr. David Williams:

In one 12-week pilot study, 15 subjects (suffering from  osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or gout) received 34 mg of a proprietary celery  seed extract standardized to contain 85% phthalides twice daily. Participants  experienced significant pain relief after three weeks, and most achieved maximum  benefit after six weeks of use.

In a larger 70-patient study, participants received 75 mg of  celery extract twice daily for three weeks. At this higher dosage, subjects  reported even better results than in the pilot study. Statistically and  clinically significant reductions were noted in pain scores, mobility, and  quality of life.

Read more: http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/celery-extract-for-gout#ixzz2JI6quuMK

There seems to be a wide range of recommended dosages across various sites.  It looks like the range is from 68 mg to 300 mg daily.  These dosages were spread out over 2-3 times per day.  The pills I have are actually 250 mg per capsule.  The bottle suggests taking it twice a day for a total of 500 mg.  Of all the studies I have seen, patients who took a higher dosage amount experienced better results.  I am hoping this proves to be true for myself as well.  I am also going to look up side effects just so I can monitor any changes or adverse reactions.

I am now on day 3 of my new regimen.  I will keep everyone posted as to what the results are and how I am doing.  Below you will see a list of what I am taking.  Please remember, everyone is different and while this may work for me someone else might have to try different alternatives for relief.

As always consult your physician before trying anything new.

Water: As close to a gallon a day as possible.  I split it up into 4 32 ounce segments.

Tart Cherry Extract:  I take  tablespoons in the morning and 3 and night.  I just do it as straight shots but you can mix it in water or make some form of smoothie with it.

Celery Seed Extract: 2 capsules a day.  One in the morning and one at night.

Cholchicine: 1 pill daily until the swelling is gone in my finger.

Kate Upton Mercedes Super Bowl Ad too sexy? Are we just being over sensitive about everything we see?

So we are a week away from one of the biggest days in television, The Super Bowl. This is that glorious day of the year when we are reminded about how much money these companies have to waste. It’s reported companies will be dishing out close to $4 million dollars for a blink of an eye 30 second spot. This amount is up 7% from last year’s average. When these ads first started they only went for $42,000.

Anyway, no matter how much they spend I usually like watching the commercials just to see what the creative minds can come up with. Personally, one of my favorites, mainly because I’m a huge basketball fan, still has to be the Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird McDonalds commercial. See below.

This brings me to this year’s ads. In case you haven’t seen it, Mercedes has leaked the ad that they will be showing during the Super Bowl this year. If you haven’t seen it take a moment to watch it before reading on.

Done?

Okay, good let’s move on. According to who knows who, this ad seems to be too hot, sexy, provocative, blah blah blah. Why? When I watch it I see Kate Upton wearing shorts and a tank top with a small amount of cleavage showing. Is this really any different than what we see every day during the summer? Maybe people are getting upset over something else. She does blow soap out of her hand at one point. I also think one of the sleeves of the football players might of rode up above his elbow. All very good reasons I’m sure to protest this ad.

For me the basis of all this seems to be that as a nation we are too sensitive. I have friends that are from all over the world. They come here because the chance for opportunity is great. A big issue they have however are the masses that try to be overly protective and sensitive to everything. Honestly, I have to agree with them. Anyone who has been in a foreign country pretty much knows what you are going to see on TV. Topless females, profanity, and a whole heap of other stuff. Yet, according to mapsoftheworld.com, the United States has the highest rate of reported crimes in the world. So it’s clear to me these ads are not influencing our youth to be some sort of sexual deviants or homicidal maniac. So, with that said, the only conclusion I can come to is that people are scared to explain the real world to their youths or that they may be jealous of what they see.

In terms of the jealousy I will keep it short and to the point. If you are out of shape or see a life that you once had or wanted then you will probably have some feelings of envy. At some point in life we were all young and cool even if in our own minds. I’m sure we didn’t find half the stuff inappropriate that we do now. Just relax and know that at some point in our lives we were exciting. Try to remember back when you were young and most likely you will want to beat up your older self for being a prude now.

With television, games, and music I ask you to just think about it. If we were to never gasp and overreact to something we see, then our children would never learn that response. Who cares if there is some sexy girl on TV? Do we teach our youth to not accept their sexuality and not feel confident about themselves? Or maybe we cover their eyes about a condom ad that is on television. That way we don’t have to explain why safe sex is important. The point I am trying to make is that we will continue to be a nation of hush hush, don’t talk about that, if we don’t start explaining the world to our children when they see something. Most of the time parents talk to their children about a taboo subject it is already too late. Usually the child, preteen, or teenager already has all the information they need. Embrace life and don’t be afraid to talk about the uncomfortable.

For my Jerry Springer final thought I will say this.  Get over the petty shit, be an adult, and just explain what your children just saw when they ask you.

GD

Getting Back In The Gym – Out of shape, Out of breath, and trying not to gawk.

Thanks to YouTube user arven979 for posting this video. Words couldn’t describe it any better.

So after about a month I figured I would attempt to get my out of shape ass back in the gym. With my knee still swollen and my fingers still doing the Crip sign I threw on my workout gear and headed out.  As I’m driving I try to think about what exactly I will be able to do with the swelling I still have going on.  The last thing I want is to look like some crazy man gimping around on the elliptical or drop a weight on myself since I can’t grab anything with my left hand.  At the same time the movement and sweating will help get rid of the excess fluid so I know I have to go.  If you have some swelling from gout you should try getting active. It really does help. Once I pull-up to the gym I know right away its going to be an interesting experience since the parking lot is jam-packed.  I look over at the entrance and people were going in like they were giving away free liposuction.  My guess is that it is crowded because it is January.  I’m assuming by February or March the resolution crowd will be gone. On a side note, Leo Widrich has an interesting blog about: The Science of New Year’s Resolutions.  Okay, back to my story. Upon entering I saw it was just as crowded as I thought.  However, there was a pleasant surprise. What’s the surprise?  Everywhere I looked there was an attractive, toned-up female stretching, running, and doing weights. No matter where I went I felt like I was gonna be “that guy” who is trying to pick-up a girl by working out next to her.  With my stomach sucked in and perfect posture, I work my way over to the elliptical. On my way over to the elliptical I almost walked into a railing.  This was because to my left was a lady in tights who felt she needed to put her leg at the very top of the treadmill she was on to stretch.  I dare any guy to walk by this and NOT look.  At the ellipticals there was not one spot I could have gone that didn’t make me look like a pervert.  So I jump on my machine and start going.  I had two very attractive girls on both sides of me and a whole buffet line of butts thumping up and down in front of me.  There was not one direction that felt safe to look.  My solution was to just stare down at the elliptical or look up at the fan and zone out.  Sounded good but every couple of minutes I found myself in somewhat of a trance, not realizing at some point I started staring at the temptations in front of me.  Thank God I only set the timer to 15 minutes.

Because of my recent gout attack I haven’t been in the Gym in about two months.  To say I was winded would be a monumental understatement.  At about the 2 minute mark I had already hit my target heart rate.  At 3 minutes I was about 10 beats over my target.  Five minutes in I swore my heart was going to jump out of my chest and run the hell out of the gym.  Here is where pride kicks in.  With all of these vixens around me there was no way I could stop, start hitting buttons to change resistance, or start breathing hard like a creepy stalker.  I came up with a plan that I felt was pretty creative.  I would slow down a little to take sips of Gatorade and to change songs on my IPOD.  This would allow me enough time to catch my breath and calm my heart down before I became one of those guys on the news that collapses at the gym.  Guess what?  SUCCESS!!!!!!  I was able to pretty much hobble through the 15 minutes of hell.  Getting off I almost lost my swagger when my Jell-O legs came close to giving out on me.  After the elliptical I was pretty spent.  I figured I could do two more machines and get out of dodge.  I finished up and took my still sucked in stomach back to the car to get home.

Moral of my story…..If you are a guy and out of shape, maybe you should wait until the gym is empty.  We just can’t handle looking bad in front of the ladies.

Can “sorry” erase months or years of lies? Why even say it?

(Photos courtesy of: telegraph.co.uk, localizedusa.com, and businessinsider.com)

So I just got done watching the second part of Oprah’s interview with Lance Armstrong. The first thought that came to mind at the credits was bullshit! During part 1 of the interview Oprah asked a lot of the questions that we wanted answered and got straight yes or no answers. The second part of this interview that aired tonight was basically about how bad he felt and how he lost his sponsors and addressed doping with his children. For the most part we could have just gotten by with part 1 of the interview and all moved on.
During the interview Lance said sorry multiple times about his lies and manipulations through-out the last 13 years. Really? Can someone truly be sorry for something that they did for 13 years? Did you know that if someone types in sorry on Google that there are over 31 millions results? To me, sorry seems to be a word that is so misused that I feel it has lost its true meaning altogether. According to Merriam-Webster the definition of sorry is “feeling sorrow, regret, or penitence”. Does he really feel any of these emotions or is it simply a matter of getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar? For Armstrong it seems to be another case where a celebrity owns up to misconduct only after being caught. Some others who felt “sorry” more recently after getting caught? Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, and my local professional catcher Carlos Ruiz. All these stars said they were “sorry” for transgressions, taking banned substances, and cheating only after they were caught. I just don’t see how someone can be “sorry” for something that lasts so long. To me sorry is if you bump someone in the grocery store because you didn’t see them. Sorry, is forgetting to get milk after your wife asked you. For me you could even say sorry for throwing something at someone because you had a harsh impulsive reaction to something they did. Sorry, should not be used for cheating repeatedly, especially over months and years. When Lance was making his decisions, or any of those other guys i listed, they knew exactly what they were doing. These guys didn’t care that it would harm or hurt their friends, families, or colleagues and their morals were definitely put aside so they could live a more selfish and self-fulfilling life. If someone is going to say sorry it should be used when you feel true regret for something you just did. Sorry should never take more than a moment to feel or say.
By the end of the interview I was left feeling bad. Not for Armstrong, but for the millions of his fans he deceived over all these years. Just think of the millions of cancer patients that looked up to him. Think about the little children that saw him for all those years riding a bike and winning awards and thought they could do that too. And think of his children. For the rest of their lives they are going to be faced with defending their father for all he has done. That’s who I feel bad for.
If anyone of any importance ever comes by this post I ask you to just own up to your mistakes. If you go on television don’t go on and start saying how sorry you are and that you didn’t mean to do this or that. What’s done is done and more than likely you gave lots of thought to what you did. Instead, deal with it head on. Admit to your wrong doings, talk about what you are going to do moving forward, and most importantly let your actions speak for you. Then and maybe then people will start to forgive although they are never going to forget.

GD